MDF Magazine Issue 61 April 2020 (2)

Sakura is a dog with an amazing personality.
When she doesn’t have her ‘working suit’ on she
is very energetic and playful, and when she has
it on she knows she has to work and she really
concentrates. I fell in love with her the first time
I saw her in one of the kennels, and I didn’t even
know that she was mine (love at first sight,
literally).
We have been told that the bond between the
owner and the service dog can take very long to
strengthen, but our bond feels the strongest it
could possibly be. She helps me to pick up stuff
that I drop, as I’m sure you can relate. She also
opens and closes doors for me and she can speak
by barking on command, and go and call for help
when I need it. More than anything else, she is
ALWAYS by my side and I never feel alone any
more.
Leila has a YouTube channel called Leila Loves
Life where she posts lots of bits and pieces about
herself and her life as a wheelchair user. She did
a video (https://youtu.be/SkHfg3qGuKU) after her
mom and dad contacted Reach For a Dream for her
that absolutely blew my socks off, so I asked her to
tell you a little about it (when I watched the video my
checks got pretty wet – but let’s keep this between
you and me please).
I have a best friend called Elsje de Beer. We’ve
been friends since late in Grade 7 and she is
absolutely amazing. At school she pulls me up
stairs, and she helps me everywhere. She is just
the one of the best things that has ever happened
to me in my life. Elsje is very funny, and we laugh
about the stupidest things. She isn’t scared to
do anything, lives her life at 150% and takes me
with her everywhere. I don’t know what I would
do without Elsje, or my other friends Erin, Adriani,
Simone, Erika and Inge. They make me who I am
today.
Finally I asked her to share a bit about her little
brother, who unfortunately also has dodgy genes
(we must have got them at a bad jumble sale). I
think I’m fortunate that I don’t have a sibling with the
same sucky jeans as mine (my sister has Levi’s). I
don’t know how I’d feel knowing someone so close
to me has the same challenges I face.
My little brother Simon is twelve years old and
also has FA. He is shy, and is quite anxious about
the future as the thought of being the boy in the
wheelchair is terrifying. But he has a heart of gold
and I try to help him look at it in a more positive
way. Simon has a great sense of humour and
loves making people laugh.
Ok, so about my celebrity meeting! I love
Ed Sheeran. His lyrics are so powerful and
meaningful and his songs inspire me because he is
a normal guy who got bullied when he was little
about the way he looked. He kept believing in
himself and is now the best-selling touring artist
in history. When I met him, I just couldn’t believe
it was happening. He was SO nice and down to
earth. He went on his knees to look me in the eye
and talk to me. I still can’t believe it happened,
but my whole room is full of Ed Sheeran posters
and pictures and all kinds of stuff. So every morning
when I wake up I remember this special day.
I also asked Leila to share a little bit about her best
friend because I’ve seen a few posts on her parents’
social media about her and I know how important
my own friends are to me.
I am so thankful for my family, they are so
supportive and I couldn’t have asked for better
people in my life. When times are tough, they are
always there for my brother and I and I just love
them so very much.
So, there it is guys. Thank you for letting me
introduce you to my hero, and please check out her
YouTube channel so you can see more of that light
I was talking about.
It really rips my heart out when I see young kids
having to deal with this train wreck of a body we’re
all forced to deal with. But with the strength of
character and positive attitude to life I can see in
Leila I just know we have a rock star in our midst
who is going to do gargantuan things. Watch this
space!